Metering valve assembly having stepped-back plunger



L. T. WARD 2,991,917

2 Sheets-Sheet l R, Y "m 0 M 1 W Z 5. m w 1 1 W J/ m I- M. m

M w m July 11, 1961 METERING VALVE ASSEMBLY HAVING STEPPED-BACK PLUNGER Filed Aug. 16, 1954 Ill/ July 11, 1961 L. T. WARD 2,991,917

METERING VALVE ASSEMBLY HAVING STEPPED-BACK PLUNGER Filed Aug. 16, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Tlc 7 T I- /5 jig /7 INVENTOR v lxmes/vcs 7. #1400 immzqam ATTORNEY United States Patent 2 991,917 METERING vALvn ASSEMBLY HAVING STEPPED-BACK PLUNGER Lawrence T. Ward, Northampton County, Pa., assignor to V.C.A., Incorporated, Bridgeport, 'Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Aug. 16, 1954, Ser. No. 450,175 3 Claims. (Cl. 222-394) This invention relates to a spray valve assembly or structure and more particularly to a spray valve assembly having a graduated plunger and adapted to spray a metered or measured amount of low boiling liquid propellant.

It is an object of this invention to provide a spray valve adapted to convey all the contents of a reservoir.

. It is another object of this invention to provide a spray valve assembly having a reservoir and adapted to have its reservoir contents propelled completel out of the valve housing by the pressure of the mass of liquid propellant communicating with the reservoir contents.

It is another object of this invention to provide a spray valve assembly for dispensing a measured amount of a mixture of perfume dissolved in a suitable low boiling propellant solvent, said valve being constructed so as to prevent separation of the perfume substance from the liquid propellant solvent during the evacuation of the reservoir chamber of its contents.

It is another object of this invention to provide a perfume dispenser adapted to steadily dispense a metered amount of perfume containing low boiling propellant solvent having a uniform perfume concentration during the entire spray formation.

It is another object of this invention to provide a valve and a co-acting container adapted to engage said valve in a simple gas-tight manner.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon reading the descriptive disclosure in conjunction with the plurality of embodiments shown in the drawing in which,

' FIG. 1 is an exterior view of a purse size finger operated perfume dispenser.

FIG. Q. is a vertical section view of the container of the dispenser of FIG. 1 and showing a removably secured valve assembly having a syphon tube secured thereto, screw threaded into said container.

. FIG. 3 is a detail view partly in section of the plunger having a stepped back or truncated pyramid cut-off for gradually and selectively cutting-off the mass of propellant normally in continuous pressure exerting contact with the propellant disposed in the valve reservoir.

' FIG. 4is a section view of the spray valve of this invention showing the normal non-operating position of the plunger and with the reservoir contents in continuous communication with the contents of the syphon tube.

- FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 4 but showing the plunger depressed to effect a liquid tight but not gas tight seal between the appropriate plunger surface and the interior wall of the syphon tube and permitting the reservoir contents to be propelled out of the reservoir and into the exit conduit of the plunger.

- FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5 but showing the plunger fully inserted and seated in gas tight relationship with a top portion of the syphon tube.

FIG. 7 is a detailed section view taken through the valve and secured in a gas tight but non-screw-threaded manner to a container for liquid propellant and,

1 FIG. 8 is a detailed section view showing a modified manner of securing a valve assembly non-threadingly to a high pressure liquid propellant containing container.

' A container 10 (FIG. 2) adapted to resist the pressure of low boiling liquid propellants such as Freon is provided with a screw threaded aperture 1 1 or a hawknosed aperture 12 (FIGS. 7 and 8). The screw threaded aperture 11 is adapted to engage the screw threads 13 (FIGS. 4, 5 and 6) of the valve assembly of this invention, while the hawk-nosed aperture (FIGS. 7 and 8) is rolled over upon the valve assembly, forming in either case a valve secured to a container in a gas tight manner with the bore aperture walls of the sealing gasket 16 yieldably gripping the plunger top section 17x to form a seal therewith.

The valve housing 14 is generally of tubular construc tion and may be provided with screw threads 13 or without screw threads (FIG. 7). In the modifications of FIGS. 4 to 7 the housing 14 is provided with a cylindrical collar 15 adapted to be turned over to form an apertured dome which latter seizes a gasket sealing ring 16.

In FIG. 8 the'valve housing 14x is of a modified construction being provided with a suitable recess to receive a gasket sealing ring 16.

In the valve of this invention the plunger 17 of all the valve assembly modifications is identical and consists of a top section 17 having a tubular conduit 18 axially disposed therein communicating with a lateral branch conduit 19 leading to the outside.

A middle cylindrical plunger section 20 of larger diameter is disposed integrally with said top plunger section thereby forming a shoulder 20x therebetween.

The bottom section 21 of the plunger of this invention is of unique construction and is formed from a plurality of integrally united cylinders of successively diminishing diameter to give the appearance of an extended telescope,

i.e. a stepped-back or truncated pyramid effect. The plunger bottom section 21 consists of three cylinders of successively varying diameter having a beveled shoulder 22 therebetween. As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom plunger section 21 consists of a depending first cylinder 23 of larger diameter integrally united to a successive depending cylinder 24 of lesser diameter which latter is in turn integral with a cylinder 25 of smallest diameter.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 8, the plunger 17 is disposed in the tubular valve housing 14 which is provided with a Well cavity of a diameter slightly larger than that of the middle section 20 so that a passageway for liquids is provided therebetween.

A coil spring 26 is disposed about the lower section of the plunger 17, the top of which engages the bottom shoulder of the plunger middle section 20. The bottom of the coil spring may rest upon a ring 27 placed directly upon the well cavity bottom of the housing 1.4x as shown in FIG. 8, upon a ring 27 disposed upon the upper part of removable insert 28 as shown in FIG. 7; or upon a ring 27 resting directly upon the upper portion ofa syphon tube 29 as shown in FIGS. 2-6.

The insert 28 and syphon tube 29 may be an integral unit of plastic if so desired to give a single piece construction as shown in FIGS. 3-6. The housing and other metal parts may be of brass or preferably of aluminum for perfume mixtures. Of course other sprayable mixtures or drugapplications can be sprayed inmetered amounts from the valve and the dispenser of this inven-.

tion. The insert 28 of FIG. 7 or the single unit syphon tube insert combination of FIGS. 3-6 is held within the valve housing 14 by conventional means such as a ledge provided thereforb In the non-operative condition (FIG. 4) of the valve of this invention, the coil spring 26 presses the plunger 17 continuously upwardly to effect a gas tight seal between shoulder 20x and gasket sealer ring 16. In this non-operative condition (FIG. 4) the smallest cylinder of the bottom plunger section cylinder 21 is disposed loosely in the syphon tube 29 thereby permitting the liquidv underpressure to be forced into the reservoir 3 formed between the well cavity wall 30 and the surface of the cylinders 24 and 23.

In FIG. 5 the plunger is shown in an initially depressed position. In this condition cylinder 24 has been pushed into the conduit of syphon tube 29 so that a narrow annular passageway is formed permitting propellant gas or vapor but not liquid to pass therethrough, thereby forcing the liquid contents completely out of the reservoir into the lateral exit conduit 19 before separation of the perfume substance can be effected from the liquid propellant, said propellant being cooled due to expansion effect of changing a liquid to a gas upon being forced into the atmosphere of lower pressure than the pressure present in the container 10.

Further continued gradual movement of the finger of an operator upon the top section of plunger 17 causes the plunger beveled edge 22x disposed between cylinders 24 and 23 to engage the appropriate beveled or rounded annular valve seat 31 of syphon tube 29 forming a gas tight seal (FIG. 6).

The valve assembly of this invention is a subcombination unit manufactured separately. It may be screw threaded to a container or secured otherwise to a container adapted to withstand high pressure.

In FIG. 7 there is shown a container 10 provided with' a nozzle terminating in a beaked or hawk-nosed rim 12 having a ledge 32 adapted to engage a resilient sealer ring 33. In this modification the valve housing 14 is provided with a circular shoulder 34 adapted to engage rim 12. The seizure pressure of rim 12 is disposed on the housing portion and the ring 33 disposed in turn upon ledge 32 to form a gas tight pressure resistant seal.

In the modification of FIG. 8 a modified manner of effecting a juncture between the valve assembly and container 10 is employed. In this modification the gasket sealing ring 16 is disposed upon a suitably recessed ledge above the well cavity and slidingly engages the top plunger section 17x.

In all modifications (FIGS. 4-8) of this invention the apertured sealing gasket 16 has the bore walls thereof yieldably gripping the said top portion 17x of cylindrical plunger 17 to form a continuous seal therewith.

A flanged member is rolled or turned about the housing 14x and the gasket 16 (FIG. 8) to secure the ring immovably to said housing-thereby retaining captively said plunger 17 in the well cavity. Preferably a resilient rubber or plastic securing ring 36 is disposed upon the rolled-over flanged member 35 and the bealced rim 12 is pressed over to immovably seize said ring 36. In this modification (FIG. 8) the flanged member 35 is seized between the two resilient rings 16 and 36 to form a gas tight seal to prevent loss of propellant.

For the dispensing of drug solutions or liquid pharmaceutical solutions having propellant liquid, the container, the tube, the plunger and the valve housing may all be selectively made of glass or plastic to prevent metal contamination, particularly where the solution is corrosive to metal. The parts may optionally or selectively be made of stainless steel or other corrosion resistant metal.

Normally a liquid propellant is about 20 percent gas phase and 80 percent liquid phase. The gas pressure in the container forces the liquid up the syphon tube into the valve housing reservoir.

Also the valve spring need not be disposed in the reservoir as it may be secured to the plunger stem protruding exteriorly from the valve housing, and the spring may then be bow-shaped in lieu of being coiled.

In the plunger of this invention, the lowermost bottom cylinder is always in the tubular orifice leading into the reservoir in the valve housing, and being of a considerably smaller diameter than the tube, the passage of liquid is rapid and substantially unhampered therebetween. But upon the successive insertion of the next larger cylinder into the tubular orifice, the clearance between the cylinder and the tubular wall is selected to be so small as to permit passage of gas molecules but not of a film of liquid, that is, the reservoir contents are under these conditions exposed to gas or vapor pressure but not to liquid pressure. Consequently the reservoir does not keep filling up with more liquid but rather the metered liquid therein is swept out of the reservoir by said gas molecules coming through the reservoir inlet orifice.

This invention was described by means of illustrative embodiments but clearly other embodiments are within the scope thereof, said embodiments falling within the ambit of the claims herein.

While this invention has been described particularly in connection with a perfume dispenser, it is contemplated that the metering valve which forms the subject thereof can be used to dispense metered quantities of a variety of other products packaged under pressure in vessels containing liquefied gas or compressed gas propellant. For example, it is contemplated that the valve of this invention can be advantageously used in the dispensing of foam products such as whipped cream, shaving cream and the like.

I claim:

1. A spray valve assembly for spraying liquid propellant, comprising a housing adapted to be secured to a container, said housing having a tubular well cavity therein; a plunger longitudinally movable in said cavity and having a bottom closure section comprising three integrally united cylinders successively diminished in diameter toward the end of the plunger, said housing having an apertured bottom wall and annular valve seat means therein, adapted to consecutively receive the cylinders of the bottom closure section of the plunger, said valve seat means having a diameter only very slightly larger than that of the middle cylinder whereby the disposition of the latter in the valve seat means effects a stoppage of liquid through the same while permitting gas to flow, and whereby the disposition of the cylinder of largest diameter in the valve seat means effects a complete stoppage of fluid through the said means.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, in which there is a syphon tube connected with the apertured bottom wall of the housing, said syphon tube having the said annular valve seat means which is engaged by the bottom closure section of the said plunger.

3. In a metering valve structure for the closure of gastight pressure containers of the type including a valve body adapted to be sealed gas-tight to the container and having a channel through said body adapted to lead from the interior to the exterior of the container, a valve plunger slidably mounted in a portion of said channel, means actuatable from the exterior of the container for sliding said plunger, and a first valve means actuated by said plunger normally sealing said channel gas-tight and unsealing when said plunger is moved from a predetermined position in one direction in said channel; the improvement comprising a reservoir cavity in said channel inward of said first valve means and a second valve means actuated by said plunger normally open and sealing said channel gas-tight inward of said cavity when said plunger is moved to a predetermined position in the same direction in said channel; said second valve means being so proportioned and arranged that in passing from its open state to the state of gas-tight seal it passes through an intermediate state of liquid-tight but not gas tight seal of appreciable duration, said second valve means comprising an annular valve seat of predetermined diameter and a three-step cylindrical rod actuated by the plunger arranged concentric with and normal to said seat with the lowermost cylindrical step within said seat when said valve means is open, said lowermost step being of smallest diameter and clearing said seat sufliciently to permit liquid passage between it and said seat, the intermediate step being of intermediate diameter and introduced within said seat by motion of said plunger, the diameter of said intermediate step being such as to aiford a gas passage but a liquid closure with said seat, and the outermost step being of largest diameter, the diameter of said outermost step being greater than that of said seat, whereby said outermost step may be pressed into gas-tight seal with said seat by actuation of said plunger.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,667,991 Boyer Feb. 2, 1954 2,686,081 Cooksley Aug. 10, 1954 2,701,163 Teller Feb. 1, 1955 2,721,010 Meshberg Oct. 18, 1955 

